TOPIC: Hardcore/nightmare

Hi,

I am considering doing some higher difficulty runs next year for the first time and wanted to know what people's thoughts were on equipment recommendations. I have always played a paladin. I don't have a ton of high dollar tokens and I don't want to give myself false hope into thinking I can do it on a budget.

Here is the best stuff that I own
+2 slayer sword (hoping to transmute into the +3 before the deadline)
Defender set
AoTF

Phiswiz wrote: Hi,

I am considering doing some higher difficulty runs next year for the first time and wanted to know what people's thoughts were on equipment recommendations. I have always played a paladin. I don't have a ton of high dollar tokens and I don't want to give myself false hope into thinking I can do it on a budget.

Here is the best stuff that I own
+2 slayer sword (hoping to transmute into the +3 before the deadline)
Defender set
AoTF

You're good to go at Hardcore with that gear (~24 AC means monsters will only hit you ~40% of the time)! Although here is some stuff you can pick up relatively cheaply:

Ioun Stone Beryl Prism - +1 Saves
Belt of Ogre Power - +2 STR (+1 melee hit and damage)
Gloves of Ogre Power - +2 STR (+1 melee hit and damage)
Boots of the Marauder - +2 DEX, Free Action (so - +1 AC, +1 Reflex)
Perhaps Wicked Charm - +1 STR, -1 saves (since you have odd base STR, this gives +1 to melee hit and damage for -1 saves)
Earcuff of Intellect - +1 to will saves
Earcuff of the Wind - Immune to Surprise
Earcuff of Vitality - +2 HP
+2 Cloak of Resistance - +2 Saves
Bracers of Frost - +2 Melee Damage
Mighty Sling - Perfectly fine ranged weapon
Ring of Protection +1/Ring of Reflexes/Ring of Iron Will/Ring of Fortitude (pick 2)

If you don't have a +level item you should save up around $200 and buy a ring of heroism so you're lvl 5

Phiswiz wrote: Here is the best stuff that I own

Hi Phiswiz!

It's cool that you listed the URs you own (and Defender set - that's a really good set for your Pali!) but your readiness for HardCore depends on a lot more than just having a handful of URs. In fact, you can totally "do it on a budget."

As Matthew noted, there's a lot of good equipment you could gear up with, at the Red level.

I've seen groups take on Hardcore without a single UR, and succeed. The trick is to have your build filled with good rare-levels. Equipping with lots of rare-level strength boosters is better (and cheaper) than a single UR or even Relic sword.

You also want to have a good group.
There's all kinds of tricks (like establishing an attack order; perfecting "Slide and Move"; teaching players to inform the healers "I'm down X HP out of Y") which improve your group's efficiency, and let you get more rounds in during combat, or heal up quickly after an error. Learning to work like a well-oiled machine is more important (IMHO) than any gear you've got.

And lastly, your Attitude matters.
ANY group (even rank newbs) can play Hardcore if they've got the right attitude. Don't expect to win every battle. Learn to roll with the punches. Enjoy the thrill of a hard fight. And - if luck is against you - be prepared to die. Odds are pretty good that you'll survive, or that at least most of you will survive, but it's a good idea to go in with the knowledge that you may have to chalk this one up to a "learning experience." Have fun anyways, and maybe carry a Potion of Death's Door / Mystic Mushroom around, just in case.

My cleric wears Defender set on nightmare. Because of the free action it gives, it makes Boots of Marauder a little redundant. Maybe a Wind Boot for extra ouch. Or, wait to see what 2016 brings.

Pstyle wrote: If you don't have a +level item you should save up around $200 and buy a ring of heroism so you're lvl 5

I'd say that is a better investment than the +3 sword

You get a strength bump that adds +1 to hit and damage (which is the same benefit as the sword upgrade), plus 9 more hp, 3 more points of lay on hands and the sacrifice ability.

Harlax wrote:

Pstyle wrote: If you don't have a +level item you should save up around $200 and buy a ring of heroism so you're lvl 5

I'd say that is a better investment than the +3 sword

You get a strength bump that adds +1 to hit and damage (which is the same benefit as the sword upgrade), plus 9 more hp, 3 more points of lay on hands and the sacrifice ability.

All true. Perhaps more importantly, the sword is usable by a subset of classes. Level 5 works for all of them.

And, what Raven said.

Raven wrote: I've seen groups take on Hardcore without a single UR, and succeed. The trick is to have your build filled with good rare-levels. Equipping with lots of rare-level strength boosters is better (and cheaper) than a single UR or even Relic sword.

You also want to have a good group.
There's all kinds of tricks (like establishing an attack order; perfecting "Slide and Move"; teaching players to inform the healers "I'm down X HP out of Y") which improve your group's efficiency, and let you get more rounds in during combat, or heal up quickly after an error. Learning to work like a well-oiled machine is more important (IMHO) than any gear you've got.

And lastly, your Attitude matters.
ANY group (even rank newbs) can play Hardcore if they've got the right attitude. Don't expect to win every battle. Learn to roll with the punches. Enjoy the thrill of a hard fight. And - if luck is against you - be prepared to die. Odds are pretty good that you'll survive, or that at least most of you will survive, but it's a good idea to go in with the knowledge that you may have to chalk this one up to a "learning experience." Have fun anyways, and maybe carry a Potion of Death's Door / Mystic Mushroom around, just in case.

I was part of a group of reasonably experienced players that took on the Underdark Combat on Hardcore with just green items this year. Everyone survived to the final room.

Lode

Lodestone (KH) wrote:

Raven wrote: I've seen groups take on Hardcore without a single UR, and succeed. The trick is to have your build filled with good rare-levels. Equipping with lots of rare-level strength boosters is better (and cheaper) than a single UR or even Relic sword.

You also want to have a good group.
There's all kinds of tricks (like establishing an attack order; perfecting "Slide and Move"; teaching players to inform the healers "I'm down X HP out of Y") which improve your group's efficiency, and let you get more rounds in during combat, or heal up quickly after an error. Learning to work like a well-oiled machine is more important (IMHO) than any gear you've got.

And lastly, your Attitude matters.
ANY group (even rank newbs) can play Hardcore if they've got the right attitude. Don't expect to win every battle. Learn to roll with the punches. Enjoy the thrill of a hard fight. And - if luck is against you - be prepared to die. Odds are pretty good that you'll survive, or that at least most of you will survive, but it's a good idea to go in with the knowledge that you may have to chalk this one up to a "learning experience." Have fun anyways, and maybe carry a Potion of Death's Door / Mystic Mushroom around, just in case.

I was part of a group of reasonably experienced players that took on the Underdark Combat on Hardcore with just green items this year. Everyone survived to the final room.

Lode

Agreed all around. We proved that strategy and teamwork definitely makes Hardcore doable without even a rare token. But if you aren't confident in your group skills/teamwork/strategy (especially if you play with random groups) or are really averse to dying then mostly rare and a few UR tokens in Hardcore will certainly help out.

Lodestone (KH) wrote:

Raven wrote: I've seen groups take on Hardcore without a single UR, and succeed. The trick is to have your build filled with good rare-levels. Equipping with lots of rare-level strength boosters is better (and cheaper) than a single UR or even Relic sword.

You also want to have a good group.
There's all kinds of tricks (like establishing an attack order; perfecting "Slide and Move"; teaching players to inform the healers "I'm down X HP out of Y") which improve your group's efficiency, and let you get more rounds in during combat, or heal up quickly after an error. Learning to work like a well-oiled machine is more important (IMHO) than any gear you've got.

And lastly, your Attitude matters.
ANY group (even rank newbs) can play Hardcore if they've got the right attitude. Don't expect to win every battle. Learn to roll with the punches. Enjoy the thrill of a hard fight. And - if luck is against you - be prepared to die. Odds are pretty good that you'll survive, or that at least most of you will survive, but it's a good idea to go in with the knowledge that you may have to chalk this one up to a "learning experience." Have fun anyways, and maybe carry a Potion of Death's Door / Mystic Mushroom around, just in case.

I was part of a group of reasonably experienced players that took on the Underdark Combat on Hardcore with just green items this year. Everyone survived to the final room.

Lode

A major factor is by the time of envy run everybody had run the dungeon at least once already. We were able to plan out what we needed to do when in each room and what consumables and spells did we need to use (such as protect/cure the fungal attacks/heat damage) when helped us a lot.

I would be curious how any type of challenge run (be it fewer people, sealed, or only X rarity tokens) would do tackling a Dungeon they had never done before.

So maybe a challenge run on Thursday 9AM-10AM start time (this would limit knowledge of the dungeon).

jedibcg wrote: I would be curious how any type of challenge run (be it fewer people, sealed, or only X rarity tokens) would do tackling a Dungeon they had never done before.

So maybe a challenge run on Thursday 9AM-10AM start time (this would limit knowledge of the dungeon).

Even with an early Thursday run people can know about the dungeon. Golden Tickets, Volunteers, etc.

If people want to do a challenge run without foreknowledge, it has to be just on their honor.